Theories of Politics and State 3700-ISSC-24-TPS
The "close reading" of political, philosophical and sociological texts demands a special, disciplined methodology. We are going to concentrate on fragments that we deem crucial in order to teach students how to extract fundamental sense of these notions and extrapolate them to be used in a modern context.
The class will have a somewhat rigid structure of a short historical introduction, followed by analysing together chosen quotations and concluding with a general discussion on the broader sense of a given text.
Type of course
Prerequisites (description)
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Knowledge
- Develop an understanding of the historical and cultural ties between the countries and peoples of the northern Mediterranean coast and the rest of Europe (K_W02)
- Acquire knowledge of social sciences terminology and its role in culture (K_W09)
Abilities
- Interpret social processes in an advanced and interdisciplinary way, particularly the changes taking place in them (K_U01)
- Prepare an oral or written presentation that considers the needs of the audience, using a range of digital tools (K_U05)
- Present arguments in a logical and convincing manner to support one's beliefs and knowledge (K_U06)
Social competences
- is prepared to engage in ongoing education and self-improvement (K_K01).
- possess the ability to select the most effective methods for completing designated tasks (K_K04).
- understand and apply the values of academic integrity in order to cultivate their own scholarly accomplishments (K_K06).
Assessment criteria
Class participation 20%
Essay 40%
Oral exam 40%
Absence limit for both semesters: 4
If student exceeds 50% of missed classes, she/he needs to retake the class
Bibliography
Plato Apology
Plato Republic
Artistotle Politics
Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War - Funeral Oration
Cicero On the Republic
Niccolo Machiavelli The Prince
Thomas Moore Utopia
Jean Bodin Six Books of Commonweath
Thomas Hobbes Leviathan
John Locke Two Treaties of Government
Charles de Montesquieu The Spirit of the Laws
Alexis de Tocqueville On Democracy in America
Immanuel Kant What is Enlightenment?
Max Weber Politics As a Vocation
Jurgen Habermas The Theory of Communicative Action
Michel Foucault Dicipline and Punish
John Rawls On Justice
Benedict Anderson Imagined Communities
Ernest Gellener Nations amd Nationalism
Samuel Huntington The Clash of Civilisations
Edward Said Orientalism Donna Haraway A Cyborg Manifesto
Additional information
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